NextGen Healthcare Enables Health Centers in Underserved Communities to Provide Whole Person Care During COVID-19
La Maestra was among the first health centers to implement telehealth in the region.
NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXGN), a leading provider of ambulatory-focused technology solutions, announced that La Maestra Family Clinic Inc., a federally qualified health center (FQHC) with locations throughout San Diego, Calif. is leveraging NextGen® Enterprise with integrated telehealth and behavioral health capabilities to deliver critical whole person care to underserved communities in San Diego. Close to 90 percent of La Maestra’s providers are utilizing NextGen Virtual Visits™ to treat the influx of appointment requests, including those suffering from mental health issues amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
La Maestra was among the first health centers to implement telehealth in the region. The organization rapidly increased its telemedicine capacity to expand access to safe, effective treatment, specifically among low-income, minority, uninsured, underinsured, immigrant and refugee communities. Simultaneously, NextGen Virtual Visits helped the clinic decrease no-show rates by five percent.
“La Maestra is dedicated to mitigating the mental health and substance abuse challenges related to COVID-19, and a huge component of our efforts has been the rapid transition of almost all our providers to NextGen Virtual Visits,” said Zara Marselian, Ph.D., FACHE, La Maestra president and chief executive officer. “This integration ensures continuity of care as well as increased accessibility and quality of care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay or visit the office.”
“La Maestra is an excellent example of how NextGen Healthcare can help FQHCs across the country deliver whole person care and reach patients with mental health needs,” said John Beck, chief solutions officer for NextGen Healthcare. “We are proud to offer integrated technology that ensures patients can safely access vital services through virtual visits.”
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed nearly a quarter of people in the United States are experiencing symptoms of depression. The JAMA study comes on the heels of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing the national rate of anxiety tripled in the second quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19, compared to the same period in 2019 (from 8.1 percent to 25.5 percent).
A long-standing NextGen Healthcare client, La Maestra leverages a suite of NextGen Healthcare solutions that includes: NextGen® Enterprise EHR, NextGen® Enterprise PM, NextGen® Behavioral Health Suite, NextGen® Mobile, NextGen® Enterprise Patient Portal with telehealth capabilities, NextGen® HIE and NextGen® Share.
NextGen Healthcare recently unveiled the latest version of its Behavioral Health Suite, the industry’s only platform that integrates comprehensive physical, behavioral and oral health in one software solution. For more information about how NextGen Virtual Visits™ is effective in an evolving COVID-19 healthcare environment, read the ebook, “Telehealth in Times of Crisis and Calm.” Learn more about NextGen Healthcare’s telehealth solution here.
About La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc.
La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). For more than 30 years, the organization has served immigrant, refugee, uninsured and underinsured populations living in the communities of central, east and south San Diego County, California. Today, La Maestra operates five medical clinics, 10 dental suites, three school-based sites, a mobile medical and dental unit, a mobile mammography coach, and an additional mobile dental unit.
La Maestra employs a holistic, solutions-based approach to health care through the organization's La Maestra Circle of Care® services, which provides primary, specialty care and social services including job training, eligibility and enrollment assistance, microcredit and microenterprise programs, translation, interpretation, transportation, legal advocacy, a community garden, food pantry, after-school and summer programs and transitional housing.
About NextGen Healthcare, Inc.
NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXGN) is a leading provider of ambulatory-focused technology solutions. We are empowering the transformation of ambulatory care—partnering with medical, behavioral and oral health providers in their journeys to value-based care to make healthcare better for everyone. We go beyond EHR and PM. Our integrated solutions help increase clinical productivity, enrich the patient experience, and ensure healthy financial outcomes. We believe in better. Learn more at nextgen.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
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